Aaron Siskind Foundation

The Aaron Siskind Foundation is offering a limited number of fellowship grants of up to $5,000 each for individuals working in still photography and photography-based media. Grant recipients and award amounts will be determined by a review panel on the basis of accomplishment to date and the promise of future achievement in the medium in its widest sense.

There are no restrictions on the subject matter or processes of past or projected work. However, applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States. We do not accept applications sent from outside the United States. The Foundation must receive completed applications by ordinary first-class mail, postmarked no later than October 15, 2005.

Requirements: 1. A maximum of ten 35mm slides of representative work.
2. A slide list
3. Three copies of a one-page Resume/Career Summary with your name, address and phone number at the top.
4. Three copies of a brief (one-page maximum) Statement of Plans for Future Work
5. A signed copy of the 2005 Application Form/Acceptance of Terms and Conditions.
6. A self-addressed, postage-paid envelope/container suitable for the return of your slides. The Foundation will return slides only, by ordinary first-class mail.

Well, the Aaron Siskind foundation only supports Americans, and this of course has been a limitation built into many of the foundations that exist in the US, outside of those competitions that cover an international audience. The reason that this post appeared here at this time, I imagine, is that it is linked to the Lightstalkers calendar. Lightstalkers is trying to build up its resource section and provide its members with current news of all grants and awards, no matter where they come from or who they serve, so if you have any news of competitions, grants, prizes or other sources of money for photographers or writers or filmmakers, then by all means help us to expand our "library" and add that information to the database. There is alot of international talent out there, and recently there are signs that other countries are finally developing various means of supporting photography, so we would like to keep abreast of those developments.

Well for two years now I have intended to carry the torch so to speak and apply for this sucker, but last year I was out of the country and couldnt mail the thing in (they only accept USPS) and this year, again, I am out of the country, but having known in advance that I would be, I set it all up to have the application mailed for me — only to discover that I left all my slides in storage back in NYC. Sheesh. And I have a super essay to go with the thing. I too love his work and even though I havent developed along the lines that his career suggests, I think I can safely trace my steps back to those lovely Harlem photos. Well, I can but try — next year!

Jon: we’ll definitely tie one one, because, as you know, this life has unending perpinquities. never ceases to amaze me: we meet in our life the people we should and need to meet! :))..the dance….. (and im not talking meeting folks for career/job/networking or gold shit ;))) )………we shall drink, im certain, ..anyway, ….i hope, indeed, sometime that you apply….I havee read your essays/discriptions (website) and some of your other writing…and you’re an imaginative and powerful writer..(Im saying that as a fellow drunken writer/reader ;)) )…besides, anyone who quotes G. Hill’s not all that bad either ;)))…from what I’ve been able to taste of your work (photos & words), I think Siskind would have been proud and happy to tie one on with u 2:… "Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of Loving_—siskind :))……bob

Jon, yes, I love Hill, used to love Crane (havent read in years actually)…what i cannot live without: my wife and son, wine, family, conversation, and books of poetry :))))…more later about poetry…Triumph of Love is magisterial book….even early hill ive tried, not always sucessfully, but ;))….as my grandmother used to say: for proper digestion one needs a proper drink ;))…bb

Jefri, we are just beginning to put together our database, as I stated above, and so far there is little information outside of the usual and commonly known foundations/competitions that mostly serve the States and Europe. One place you can begin to do some research is at the Foundation Library, and they do have an online presence:

http://fdncenter.org/

Here are some other links, but I dont know just how much they can help you, because unfortunately Asia is rather underrepresented when it comes to getting foundation money for photo projects, but have a look: